A gas turbine engine generally includes a fan and a core arranged in flow communication with one another. Additionally, the core of the gas turbine engine generally includes, in serial flow order, a compressor section, a combustion section, a turbine section, and an exhaust section. In operation, air is provided from the fan to an inlet of the compressor section where one or more axial compressors progressively compress the air until it reaches the combustion section. Fuel is mixed with the compressed air and burned within the combustion section to provide combustion gases. The combustion gases are routed from the combustion section to the turbine section. The flow of combustion gasses through the turbine section drives the turbine section and is then routed through the exhaust section, e.g., to atmosphere.
During operation of the gas turbine engine, certain components within, e.g., the turbine section may be relatively consistently exposed to elevated temperatures from the combustion gases. In order to maintain a temperature of at least certain of these components below a desired temperature threshold, a cooling airflow may be provided to the components. The cooling airflow is generally provided regardless of an operating mode of the gas turbine engine.
However, depending on the operating mode of the gas turbine engine, the components of the turbine section may or may not need all of the cooling airflow provided thereto. Providing excess cooling airflow to these components may reduce an overall efficiency of the gas turbine engine. Accordingly, a system for managing an amount of cooling airflow provided to one or more component within the turbine section of the gas turbine engine during operation would be useful.